For shipping vehicles



A. H. LEVENE.

BRACE FOR SHIPPING VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I2, 1920.

1,385,013, Patented July 19, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W J 2: INVENTOR AnoRNETs A. H. LEVENE.

BRACE FOR SHIPPING VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, 1920.

1,385,01 3, Patented July 19, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS A. H. LEVENE.

BRACE FOR SHIPPING VEHICLES.

APPLICATlON FILED m. 12, 1920.

1,385,013, Patented July 19,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ATTORNEYS LEVENE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENLTSYLV ANIA.

BLLOE FOR SHIPPING VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July-19, 1921.

Application ma Rabi-nary 12, 1920. Serial No. 368,286.

To all whom z'tmcy concern Be itknown that I, ALBERT H. LnvENE, acitizen of the United States, residin in the city and county ofPhiladelphia, ate of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Bracefor" Shipping Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention comprehends a novel construction of a brace forShipping vehicles whichis constructed in such a manner that it can beemployed with vehicle axles of different dimensions and which willprevent any improper movement on the platform, truck or railroad car onwhich it is shipped.

It further comprehends a novel brace which is especially adapted for usein'the shipment of automobiles and which will retain them in positionwhen the tires are inflated or deflated.

It further comprehends a novel brace for shipping vehicles wherein thebrace is formed preferably of a structural metal bar having one endprovided with means to engage the vehicle axle 'to prevent upward, lontudinal or lateral movement of the vehic e, the o positev end of thebrace being adapted to be fastened to the floor of the carv on which it.is shipped.

Itfurther consists 0 other novel features of construction and advanta eall as will be hereinafter fully describe in detail.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in theaccompany ing drawings ,typical embodiments thereof whichare at presentpreferred by me since said embodiments will be found in practice to ivesatisfactory and reliable results. It is, owever, to beunderstood thatthe various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can bevariously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited tothe precise construction and arrangement of these instrumentalities asherein set forth.

Figure 1 represents, in side elevation, a vehicle and my novelconstruction of brace for securing it in place on a car.

7 Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of a portion of the constructionseen in Fig. 1.

Flg. 3 represents, in perspective, one of the braces seen in Figs. 1 and2.

F lgs. 4 to 8, inclusive, represent in side elevation other embodimentsof my invention, the wheel axle and the car platform being shown insection.

F g. 9 represents a plan view of the embodiment seen in Fig. 8 showingmore partlcularly the manner in which two braces can be securedtogether.

F g. 10 represents, in perspective, an embodlment of my invention inwhich a strut is used.

Fig. 11 represents, in plan, the end of a strut seen in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 represents, in side elevation, another embodiment of myinvention.

Fig. 13 represents, in perspective, one of the brace membersseen in Fig.11.

Flg. 14 represents, in perspective, a brace member Seen in Fig. 12.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings.

In the methods heretoforeemployed for securing vehicles on theplatformof railroad cars for shipment, it hasbeen customary to eitherbuild up a staging on which the car 1s supported or to block the frontand rear wheels by means of plates or wedges secured to the platform ofa railroad car. The constructions heretofore employed have not only beenexpensive but they have been clumsy in construction and if a vehiclesuch as an automobile was shipped with its tires resting on the platformthe automobile is liable to shift its position in case the tires becomedeflated.

Referringnow more particularly to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, 1 designates abrace embodying my invention one or more of which can be employed inconjunction with each axle of the vehicle. The brace is provided with aninclined body portion 2 which merges into a foot piece 4 having theapertures 5 to receive the fastening devices 6 such as for example thespikes seen in Fig. 1 which are driven into the platform 7 of therailroad car by which thevehicles are to be shipped. The lower free endof the brace is upwardly deflected as at 8. The inclined body portion 2merges into an upwardly extending portion 9 which latter merges into alaterally extending portion 10. 11 designates the plate or bar which isfixed to the upwardly extending portion 9 and extends laterallytherefrom and is provided with an aperture 12 which passes through theportion 9 and with an aperture 13.

If two braces are to be used in conjunc-- tion with an axle 14 they maybe placed so as to extend in opposite directions so that the aperture 13of one brace will register with the aperture 12 of the other brace andthe aperture 12 of one brace will register with the aperture 13 of theother brace. Bolts 15 are then inserted through the registeringapertures and the nuts 16 which are preferably of the wing type are thentightened and th brace members are spiked to the platform of the car aswill be understood by reference to Fig. 1. y

' By such construction the lateral or longitudinal movement of thevehicle with respectto the platform is prevented. Any upward movementvof the vehicle is also limited and in case the vehicle is an automobileit will be securely fastened to a platform of a car under both inflationand deflation of the tire, since a pocket 17 is formed which is ofsufficient depth to permit the downward movement of the axle 14,

' as will be understood by reference to Fig. 1.

The inclined body portion 2 may be provided with spaced apertures 18 andwith a Tor other shaped block 19 in order that a strut member may beconnected therewith as will be hereinafter explained in connection withFigs. 10 and 11.

In the embodiment seen in Fig. 4 the brace members are formed in asimilar manner to that seen in Fig. 3 except that the plate or bar 11 isomitted and a fastening device such as 15 is not employed. I havetherefore deemed it unnecessary to describe in detail the construction,it being clear that the formation is similar to that seen in Fig. 3except as to the features above noted and one or more stresses areemployed for each axlep Between the inclined body portion and the toplaterally extending flange a space is provided for the vertical movementof the axle under inflation or deflation of the tires. 7

' In the embodiment seen in Fig. 5, the construction is the same as thatseen in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive except that the fastening devices such asthe bolts and nuts 15 and 16 respectively and the platell are omitted. Ihave therefore deemed it unnecessary to describe in detail the specificconstruction. In the embodiment seen in Fig. 6 the brace consists of astructural metal bar having aninclined body portion 20, which mergesinto an apertured base portion 21 which is secured to the platform 7 ofthe railroad or other car by means of fastening devices 22. The lowerfree end of the brace is upwardly deflected as at 23. The inclined bodyportion 20 merges into an upwardly extendlng portion 24 which isdeflected downwardly as at 25 to form a pocket 26 and the free upper endof the brace is out wardly deflected as at 27 in order to stiffen In theembodiment seen in Figs. 8 and 9' the construction is substantially thesame as that seen in Fig. 7 except that instead of having the innerwalls of the loop parallel they are brought together near their lowerend and a spring arm is formed. In this embodiment, 29 designates theinclined body portion which merges into a foot piece 30 similar inconstruction to that already de scribed and this foot piece is securedto the platform 7 by means of fastening devices 31. The inclined bodyportion 29 at its upper end is deflected outwardly and upwardly as at 32and is then deflected downwardlv as at 33 to form a spring arm which isdeflected inwardly as at 34 and then outwardly as at 35. It will beunderstood that in this construction the spring arm is sprung over theaxle and is retained within the loop 36' the inner side walls of whichare substantially straight but are rounded at the upper end of the loopand at the lower end the walls forming it are brought together so thatthe space between them is less than the diameter of the axle 14.

It will be understood that all of the embodiments of my invention arepreferably provided with apertures corresponding to the spaced apertures18 so that if two are employed on the same axle they can be bracedtogether by means of a brace bar 37,

the free ends of which pass into such aper-' tures, and are secured tothe braces in any desired manner as by rivets.

In Figs. 10 and 11, I have illustrated the manner in which a strut 38 isemployed in connection with a brace. The construction of the brace inFig. 10 is the same as that already described in connection with Fig. 8the brace being provided with a slot 39 which is illustrated asT-shaped, the strut mowers being providednearitsupperend with recesses40 located on the opposite sides of it, thereby forming a heed'41.Thestrut 38 is inserted through the slot 39 and then turned to assumethe position seen in Fig. 10 and the lower end of the strut 38 is splitas at 42 and rovided with the foot pieces 43 through whic 1 pass thefastening devices 44 and the free ends of the foot pieecs'43 are bentupwardly as indicated at 45.

In the embodiment seen in Figs. 12, 13 and 14, the brace is constructedin the same manner as that already described with reference to Fig. 10except that the flange 53 is provided with the upwardly and laterallyextending flanges 46 having a space 47 between them and forming a slot48. The strut 49 is provided with recesses 50 on opposite sides of it,is then bent upwardly as at 51 and rearwardly as at In this embodiment,I have'shown the brace as formed with a flat bar instead of a channelbar but it will be understood that it is within the scope of myinvention to employ any desired form of structural metal bar or beam.

In the embodiment seen in Figs. 12 and 14 after the brace has beensecured in position the strut is assembled with respect to it and drawndownwardly into the position seen in Fig. 12 and the lower end of thestrut is then s iked to the floor as will be understood by re erence toFig. 10 and also Fig. 12. The parts 8, 23 and 45 are deflected so thatwhen it is desired to remove the brace from the platform of a car a barcan be readily inserted so that the proper pressure can be applied toremove the spikes from the floor.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel construction of abrace which can be economically manufactured from a structural metal barand which when secured in proper position with respect to an axle andfastened to the platform of the car will prevent any longitudinalmovement of the vehicle with respect to the platform, will prevent sidesway when the car is going around curves and will limit the upwardmovement of the axles with respect to the platform of the car. At thesame time if the tires should become deflated the braces will stillsecurely retain the automobile in position on the car platform. Theaxles of different makes of automobiles vary 1n diameter and theembodiments disclosed in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive are adapted to beemployed in conjunction with automobiles in which the axles are ofdifferent diameters.

In accordance with my present invention I employ a plurality of bracesfor each axle of the vehicle, the braces for the different axles beingpreferably presented in opposite directions, and each brace has at itsupper end what I term a pocket which will restrain longitudinal andlateral movement of the vehicle and if the vehicle is an automobile, theautomobile will be held in posit-iton under both inflation and deflationof the vehicle tires.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a new and usefulconstruction of a brace for shipping vehicles which embodies thefeatures of advantage enumerated as desirable in-the statement of theinvention and the above description, and while I have, in the presentinstance, shown and described preferred embodiments thereof which willgive in practice satisfactory and reliable results. it is to beunderstood that such embodiments are susceptible of modification invarious particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent.is

1. A brace for shipping vehicles. comprising a metal bar having anupwardly extending portion which terminates at its upper end in alateral extension to limit the upward movement of a vehicle axle andhaving the side wall of said upwardly extending portion adapted toengage the side of an axle, the lower end of said bar being adapted tobe secured to the )latform of a car. whereby relative longitu inalmovement of a vehicle and the platform on which it is shipped isprevented and limited vertical movement is permitted.

2. A brace for shipping vehicles. comprising a metal bar having anupwardly extending portion which terminates at its upper end in alateral extension to limit the upward movement of a vehicle axle andhaving the side wall of said upwardly extending portion adapted toengage the side of an axle. the lower end of said bar being adapted tobe secured to the platform of a car. whereby relative longitudinalmovement of a vehicle and the platform on which it is shipped isprevented under both inflation and deflation of the vehicle tires andlimited vertical movement is permitted.

3. A brace for shipping vehicles comprising a bar having its lower endadapted to be secured to a support and its upper end deflected to engageand restrain longitudinal and upward movements of the axle of a vehicleon such support and permit limited downward movement of the axle.

4. A brace for shipping vehicles comprising a bar having its lower endadapted to be secured to a support and its upper end deflected to form aspring arm to engage and restrain longitudial and upward movements ofthe axle of a vehicle on such support.

A brace for shipping vehicles comprising a bar having its lower endadapted to be secured to a support and its upper end deflected to engageand restrain longitudinal and upward movements of the axle of a vehicleon such support, said body portion having an aperture, and a strutadapted at one end to enter said aperture and interlock with said brace,the lower end of said strut being adapted to be secured to said support.

6. A brace comprising at bar having a foot flange at its lower endadapted to be secured to a platform and having a ocket'10 at its endadatped to receive a vehic e axle and rest-rain its movement on suchplatform except limited vertical movement.

ALBERT H. LEVENE. Witnesses: v

H. S. FAIRBANKS, C. D. MCVAY.

